Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy (Scottish Arts Council 186)

Notes

Printed by Mark Stock.

The present lot depicts British-American writer Christopher Isherwood (1904–1986), famed for his semi-autobiographical novel Goodbye to Berlin (1939), which inspired the musical Cabaret (1966), alongside his partner Don Bachardy (1934–), an American portraitist. David Hockney, a leading figure of the 1960s Pop Art movement, befriended the couple after moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s.¹

In 1968, Hockney painted a large double portrait of Isherwood and Bachardy seated in their Santa Monica home, overlooking Malibu Beach where the couple had met in 1952. This lithograph, created eight years later, closely echoes that composition.² Hockney recalled, “Whenever I said, ‘Relax,’ Christopher always sat with his foot across his knee, and he always looked at Don. Don never looked that way; he was always looking at me. So I thought, that’s the pose it should be.” The composition—with one sitter engaging the viewer and the other in profile—was Hockney’s first exploration of this dynamic, one he revisited frequently throughout his career.³

Despite the social hostility toward gay relationships during this period and the 30-year age difference between Isherwood and Bachardy, their partnership endured for 34 years until Isherwood’s death in 1986. The present lot offers a touching, intimate, and unapologetic glimpse into their relationship, exemplifying Hockney’s ongoing interest in personal connection and portraiture. Over his prolific career, Hockney has continually experimented with various media and techniques, including collage, multi-perspective compositions, and digital technology, challenging traditional notions of space and representation. Recognized with numerous accolades, including an appointment to the Order of Merit in 2012, Hockney’s work is held in major public and private collections worldwide.

^1. John Russell Taylor (1987) David Hockney, New York: Thames & Hudson, page 20.

^2. Martin Gayford (2011) A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney, London: Thames & Hudson, page 145.

^3. Ibid, page 140.

^4. David Hockney (2017) David Hockney: A Retrospective, New York: Museum of Modern Art, page 12 and 25.

Provenance

Leslie Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica.

Private Collection.

Literature

Scottish Arts Council (1979) David Hockney Prints 1954-1977, Edinburgh: Scottish Arts Council, unpaginated, cat. no. 186.